Conductive mono atomic layer coatings for fuel cell bipolar plates

ABSTRACT

An electrically conductive separator element and assembly for a fuel cell which comprises an electrically conductive substrate having a monoatomic layer coating overlying the substrate. The monatomic layer coating may comprise an electrically conductive material, for example, a noble metal, desirably Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir, Os and preferably Au. Methods of making such separator elements and assemblies are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/703,299 filed on Nov. 7, 2003. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fuel cells, and more particularly to an electrically conductive separator element and assembly, and the manufacture thereof, for such fuel cells.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fuel cells have been proposed as a power source for electric vehicles and other applications. One known fuel cell is the PEM (i.e., Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell that includes a so-called “membrane-electrode-assembly” comprising a thin, solid polymer membrane-electrolyte having an anode on one face of the membrane-electrolyte and a cathode on the opposite face of the membrane-electrolyte. The anode and cathode typically comprise finely divided carbon particles which have very finely divided catalytic particles supported on the internal and external surfaces of the carbon particles, and proton conductive material intermingled with the catalytic and carbon particles.

The membrane-electrode-assembly is sandwiched between a pair of electrically conductive contact elements which serve as current collectors for the anode and cathode and may contain appropriate channels and openings therein for distributing the fuel cell's gaseous reactants (i.e., H₂ & O₂/air) over the surfaces of the respective anode and cathode.

Bipolar PEM fuel cells comprise a plurality of the membrane-electrode-assemblies stacked together in electrical series while being separated from one to the next by an impermeable, electrically conductive contact element known as a bipolar or separator plate or septum. The separator or bipolar plate has two working faces, one confronting the anode of one cell and the other confronting the cathode on the next adjacent cell in the stack. Each bipolar plate electrically conducts current between the adjacent cells. Contact elements at the ends of the stack are referred to as end, terminal or collector plates. These terminal collectors contact a conductive element sandwiched between the terminal bipolar plate and the terminal collector plate. The conductive elements serve as an electrically conductive separator element between two adjacent cells and typically have reactant gas flow fields on both external faces thereof, conduct an electrical current between the anode of one cell and the cathode of the next adjacent cell in the stack and have internal passages therein through which coolant flows to remove heat from the stack.

The PEM fuel cell environment is highly corrosive and accordingly, the bipolar plates and the materials used to assemble them must be both corrosion resistant and electrically conductive. Bipolar plates are generally fabricated from two separate conductive sheets and may be constructed of electrically conductive metal or composite materials. These individual plates are joined together at least one joint, where an interior is formed between the plates which contains cooling passages. The plates must withstand the harsh conditions of the fuel cell while providing high electrical conductivity, low weight to improve gravimetric efficiency and durability for long-term operational efficiency. There remains the challenge to optimize the bonding of electrically conductive elements comprising independent components in a fuel cell to promote efficiency as cost-effectively as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a separator element and assembly for use in a stack of electrochemical cells, the element comprising a conductive metal substrate and an ultra-thin coating, preferably a monoatomic layer coating. Separator elements may form a separator assembly comprising a first conductive metallic substrate having a first surface and a second conductive metallic substrate having a second surface; each of the first and the second surfaces having an electrically conductive central region and a non-conductive peripheral region. The ultra-thin electrically conductive coating overlies one or more areas of the electrically conductive regions of the respective first and the second surfaces. Electrically conductive paths are formed by physical contact between the coated areas of the respective first and the second surfaces. A seal isolates each central electrically conductive region from each peripheral non-conductive region.

Alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention include a method for manufacturing a separator element for a fuel cell. The method comprises providing an electrically conductive metal substrate that is susceptible to formation of metal oxides, removing any metal oxides from the surface of the substrate, and depositing onto the metal surface an ultra-thin, electrically conductive coating, preferably a monoatomic layer coating.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, exploded illustration of a PEM fuel cell stack (only two cells shown);

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary electrically conductive fluid distribution element useful with PEM fuel cell stacks;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view in the direction of 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a magnified portion of the bipolar plate of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a magnified portion of an alternate embodiment of a bipolar plate having a separator sheet disposed within the coolant passage;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of an ion-beam assisted physical vapor deposition apparatus used to coat the bipolar plates with the electrically conductive material; and

FIG. 7 is cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

The present invention relates to a simplified separator assembly for a fuel cell system comprising a first and a second substrate or separator element overlaid with an ultra-thin, electrically conductive coating along electrically conductive regions of the surfaces of each separator element. When the first and second elements, overlaid with the coating, are contacted with one another, the coating facilitates joining of the first and second elements together without need for additional mechanical joining or adhesion to one another, as was previously required. To gain a better understanding of the areas in which the present invention is useful, description of an exemplary fuel cell is provided below.

FIG. 1 depicts a two cell, bipolar fuel cell stack 2 having a pair of membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAS) 4 and 6 separated from each other by an electrically conductive fluid distribution element 8, hereinafter bipolar plate 8. The MEAs 4 and 6 and bipolar plate 8, are stacked together between stainless steel clamping plates, or end plates 10 and 12, and end contact elements 14 and 16. The end contact elements 14 and 16, as well as both working faces of the bipolar plate 8, contain a plurality of grooves or channels 18, 20, 22 and 24, respectively, for distributing fuel and oxidant gases (i.e. H₂ and O₂) to the MEAs 4 and 6. Nonconductive gaskets 26, 28, 30 and 32 provide seals and electrical insulation between the several components of the fuel cell stack. Gas permeable conductive materials are typically carbon/graphite diffusion papers 34, 36, 38 and 40 that press up against the electrode faces of the MEAs 4 and 6. The end contact elements 14 and 16 press up against the carbon/graphite papers 34 and 40 respectively, while the bipolar plate 8 presses up against the carbon/graphite paper 36 on the anode face of MEA 4, and against carbon/graphite paper 38 on the cathode face of MEA 6.

Oxygen is supplied to the cathode side of the fuel cell stack from storage tank 46 via appropriate supply plumbing 42, while hydrogen is supplied to the anode side of the fuel cell from storage tank 48, via appropriate supply plumbing 44. Alternatively, ambient air may be supplied to the cathode side as an oxygen source and hydrogen to the anode from a methanol or gasoline reformer, or the like. Exhaust plumbing (not shown) for both the H₂ and O₂ sides of the MEAs 4 and 6 will also be provided. Additional plumbing 50, 52 and 54 is provided for supplying liquid coolant to the bipolar plate 8 and end plates 14 and 16. Appropriate plumbing for exhausting coolant from the bipolar plate 8 and end plates 14 and 16 is also provided, but not shown.

The present invention relates to conductive separator elements and separator assemblies in a fuel cell, such as the liquid-cooled, bipolar plate 56 shown in FIG. 2, which separates adjacent cells of a PEM fuel cell stack; conducts electric current between adjacent cells of the stack; and cools the stack. The bipolar plate 56 comprises a first exterior metal sheet 58 and a second exterior metal sheet 60. The sheets 58, 60 may be formed from a metal, a metal alloy, or a composite material, and are preferably electrically conductive. The applicability of the present invention is directed to separator elements comprised of metals or metal alloys that are susceptible to passivation, or attack by oxidation wherein a layer of metal oxides is formed on surfaces exposed to oxygen. Suitable metals and metal alloys preferably have sufficient durability and rigidity to function as sheets in a conductive element within a fuel cell. Additional design properties for consideration in selecting a material for the separator element body include gas permeability, conductivity, density, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, pattern definition, thermal and pattern stability, machinability, cost and availability. Available metals and alloys include titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, nickel based alloys, and combinations thereof.

The exterior metal sheets 58, 60 are made as thin as possible (e.g., about 0.002-0.02 inches or 0.05-0.5 mm thick). The sheets 58,60 may be formed by any method known in the art, including machining, molding, cutting, carving, stamping, photo etching such as through a photolithographic mask, or any other suitable design and manufacturing process. It is contemplated that the sheets 58, 60 may comprise a dual structure including a flat sheet and an additional sheet including a series of exterior fluid flow channels. Thus, according to the present invention sheets may be pre-formed by the above described methods and subsequently have an ultra-thin coating applied, or may have an ultra-thin coating applied and then formed (e.g. by stamping).

The external sheet 58 has a first working surface 59 on the outside thereof which confronts an anode of a membrane-electrode-assembly (not shown) and is formed so as to provide a plurality of lands 64 which define therebetween a plurality of grooves 66 known as a “flow field” through which the fuel cell's reactant gases (i.e., H₂ or O₂) flow in a tortuous path from one side 68 of the bipolar plate to the other side 70 thereof. When the fuel cell is fully assembled, the lands 64 press against the carbon/graphite papers (such as 36 or 38 in FIG. 1) which, in turn, press against the MEAs (such as 4 or 6 in FIG. 1, respectively). For drafting simplicity, FIG. 2 depicts only two arrays of lands 64 and grooves 66. In reality, the lands and grooves 64, 66 will cover the entire external surfaces of the metal sheets 58, 60 that engage the carbon/graphite papers. The reactant gas is supplied to grooves 66 from a header or manifold groove 72 that lies along one side 68 of the fuel cell, and exits the grooves 66 via another header/manifold groove 74 that lies adjacent the opposite side 70 of the fuel cell. Each sheet 58, 60 has an outer peripheral region 77, 79 respectively, which is typically electrically non-conductive because it is external to the region occupied by the electrically active MEA.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the underside of the sheet 58 includes a plurality of ridges 76 which define therebetween a plurality of channels 78 through which coolant passes during the operation of the fuel cell. As shown in FIG. 3, a coolant channel 78 underlies each land 64 while a reactant gas groove 66 underlies each ridge 76. Alternatively, the sheet 58 could be flat and the flow field formed in a separate sheet of material. Sheet 60 is similar to sheet 58. In this regard, there is depicted a plurality of ridges 80 defining therebetween a plurality of channels 93 through which coolant flows from one side 69 of the bipolar plate to the other 71 (as shown in FIG. 2). The heat exchange (coolant side) surfaces 90, 92 of the first and second sheets 58, 60 confront each other so as to define therebetween the coolant flow passages 93 adapted to receive a liquid coolant and are electrically coupled to each other at a plurality of joints or contact regions 100. Electrically conductive paths are formed by physical contact through the contact regions 100. Like sheet 58 and as best shown in FIG. 3, the external side of the sheet 60 has a working surface 63 facing a cathode of another MEA having a plurality of lands 84 thereon defining a plurality of grooves 86 through which the reactant gases pass.

Coolant flows between the channels 93 formed by sheets 58, 60 respectively, thereby breaking laminar boundary layers and affording turbulence which enhances heat exchange with inside surfaces 90, 92 of the exterior sheets 58, 60 respectively. As recognized by one of skill in the art, the current collector separator assemblies of the present invention may vary in design from those described above, such as for example, in the configuration of flow fields, placement and number of fluid delivery manifolds, and the coolant circulation system, however, the function of conductance of electrical current through the surface and body of the separator plate elements functions similarly between all designs.

FIG. 4 is a magnified view of a portion of FIG. 3 and shows the ridges 76 on the first sheet 58 and the ridges 80 on the second sheet 60 are coupled to one another at their respective surfaces 90, 92 in the contact region 100 to ensure the structural integrity of the separator element assembly 56. The first metal substrate sheet 58 is joined at the contact region 100 directly (i.e., without an intermediate spacer sheet) to the second substrate metal sheet 60 via a plurality of discrete contact regions 100. The contact region 100 provides an electrically conductive path that is required for the bipolar plate separator element assembly to function as a current collector. The contact region 100 is often referred to by those skilled in the art as the “bond” or “bond line.”

In circumstances where the electrical resistance across the contact regions 100 is too high, a significant amount of heat is generated at the contact regions 100, which is transferred to the coolant. It is believed that the conventional way of joining the two metal sheets 58, 60 to one another in a separator assembly, typically by welding or brazing, creates “stitches” (as they are known in the art) which are relatively discrete discontinuous regions where the physical and electrical contact is established between the sheets. When electric current is restricted to conduction through the stitches, an uneven current distribution occurs which causes high resistance and heat in those regions. The heat build-up further contributes to coolant heating, and also potentially to pinholes or ruptures through the membrane in the corresponding regions, due to excessive localized heating. In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that the electrical current is evenly distributed entirely across contact regions 100 and that a sustainable electrical resistance across the conductive path is low enough that it does not cause overheating of the coolant or pinholes in the membrane.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first substrate sheet 58 is overlaid with a first electrically conductive oxidation and corrosion resistant coating 110 deposited along surface 90 in the electrically active region which corresponds to the area occupied by the MEA (such as 4 or 6 in FIG. 1, respectively). The second substrate sheet 60 is also overlaid with a second electrically conductive oxidation and corrosion resistant coating 112 along surface 92 which likewise corresponds to the electrically active region. The coated first and second substrate sheets 58, 60 will confront one another at the contact regions 100 which correspond to the areas where the lands 76, 80 contact one another. Optionally, the external faces 59 and 63 of sheets 58 and 60 may also be covered with the same coating, as shown here, or may alternately remain uncoated (not shown).

The present invention is also applicable to any electrically conductive elements that are joined to one another within the fuel cell. While the first and second sheets 58, 60 may be joined directly to each other in accordance with the present invention as shown in FIG. 4, in a bi-polar plate assembly 56, the first and second sheets 58, 60 may alternatively be attached to a discrete intermediate, separator conductive sheet 101 (FIG. 5) that may partition the coolant flow passage 93 a. The intermediate separator sheet 101 may be perforated so as to permit coolant to move between the smaller coolant flow passages 93 a. In such an embodiment, the separator sheet 101 will be treated in accordance with the present invention by applying a coating 103 to both contact surfaces 105 of the separator sheet 101 that will contact the coatings 110, 112 of the first and second conductive sheets 58, 60. In one alternate preferred embodiment, the separator sheet 101 may be corrugated to provide a plurality of coolant channels in the coolant flow passage (not shown), or as shown in FIG. 5, may be a flat sheet joined to the first and second outer sheets 58, 60 which each have a plurality of coolant flow channels 107 formed therein, as for example by corrugating the outer sheets.

According to the present invention, the coating e.g. 103, 110, 112 is “ultra-thin”, meaning that the thickness of the coating is less than 100 nm. A preferred aspect of the coating 103 of the present invention is that it has a relatively uniform distributed layer along the substrate sheet 101. A preferred thickness is less than 15 nm, and a more preferred thickness is between about 2 nm to about 10 nm. Such a thickness corresponds to a thickness of less than or equal to the depth of about two atomic monolayers of atoms. A most preferred thickness of the ultra-thin coating is a monatomic layer, or an average thickness equal to the diameter of about one atom of the coating material or an average depth of about one layer of atoms of the coating material. Such as thickness corresponds to a thickness of about 0.3 nm to about 0.5 nm. Fuel cells are preferably operated under compression, and thus during operation pressure is applied to the entire stack, including its several components.

With renewed reference to FIG. 4, the contact established between the first coating 110 of the first sheet 58 and the second coating 112 of the second sheet 60 creates a sustainable bond which provides joining of the lands 76, 80 in a sustained manner such that no additional bonding or physical attachment is needed. Further, the contact region 100 created by the coating 110, 112 contact provides even current distribution, enhanced long-term durability and a sustained low contact resistance beyond 500 hours of operation. Thinner coatings 110, 112 in accordance with the present invention occupy less volume in fluid flow channels (e.g. coolant channels) and thus provide larger flow paths and decreased pressure drop in comparison with brazing. Additionally, other previous methods of adhering plates introduce a third material, which may degrade or impinge on flow channels, increasing the resistance to flow and pressure drop. The present invention eliminates the need for the third component entirely, thus eliminating any potential obstruction of fluid flow paths.

According to the present invention, it is preferred that the contact resistance is less than 20 mOhm-cm² measured with a compressive stress of at least 50 psi (350 kPa) pressure applied, and more preferably less than 15 mOhm-cm², and most preferably between about 7 to about 8 mOhm-cm², as measured across conductive diffusion paper and through the entire separator assembly. Further, as part of the present invention, it is preferred that all metal oxides are removed from the surfaces 90, 92 of metal sheets 58, 60 along the regions where the coating 110, 112 is to be applied, and especially in the contact regions 100 to create as low resistance electrical connection as is possible between the sheets 58, 60 through the joined coatings 110, 112.

Preferred ultra-thin electrically conductive oxidation and corrosion resistant coatings 110, 112 according to the present invention comprise electrically conductive materials such as noble metals, for example, gold (Au), silver (Ag), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), osmium (Os), palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt). A most preferred metal coating for the present invention is gold (Au). It should be understood that conductive metal oxides, as a nonlimiting example RuO₂ and IrO₂, metal alloys, and metal composites, e.g. nitrides, fluorides, carbides, and sulfides, may also be suitable for the conductive coatings of the disclosure.

It should further be noted that the first and second coatings 110, 112 may be the same composition or may have different compositions, and further may be mixtures of metals. In preferred embodiments, the first and second coatings 110,112 are of the same composition. One preferred method of depositing the coatings 110, 112 onto the electrically active regions of the surfaces 90, 92 will now be described with reference to FIG. 6. In order to deposit the conductive coating 110, 112 onto the substrate, an ion-assisted, physical vapor deposition (PVD) method may be employed.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, an ion-assisted PVD apparatus 136 is used. The apparatus 136 includes a deposition chamber 138 and two electron guns, A and B, for deposition of coating 110,112. The apparatus 136 also includes a low energy ion gun which is used for sputter cleaning of the substrates and a turbo pump which allows the apparatus to be operated in an ultra-high vacuum. The substrate to be coated with the conductive coating 110,112 is first placed in a “load-lock” chamber 137 where the pressure is between about 1×10⁻⁵ to 1×10⁻⁶ Torr (1×10⁻³ Pa to 1×10⁻⁴ Pa). The substrate to be coating 110,112 is then transferred in the deposition chamber 138.

Once the substrate is placed into the deposition chamber 138, the pressure is lowered to about 1×10⁻⁹ Torr (1×10⁻⁷ Pa). A first crucible 140 in the chamber holds the noble metal to be deposited. If a combination of metals or noble metals is to be deposited, a second metal is held by a second crucible 142. For example, a crucible 140 containing titanium to be deposited as a first layer and a crucible 142 containing gold to be deposited over the titanium as a second layer is not out of the scope of the present invention. Another option available may be to deposit a combination of metals simultaneously.

The ion gun is used to sputter clean the substrate. As the ion gun sputter cleans the substrate, a beam of electrons is used to melt and evaporate the noble metals. Such a process may also be known as electron beam evaporation. The target metals are then deposited on the substrate at a rate of 0.10 nm/s to a thickness of less than 100 nm, which is observed by thickness monitors.

A unique aspect of the ion-assisted PVD method is that the substrate is sputter cleaned and the conductive coating is deposited essentially simultaneously. By sputter cleaning and coating the substrate simultaneously, the conductive coating 110,112 may be deposited onto the substrate at ultra-low thicknesses of less than 100 nm, preferably less 15 nm, more preferably between 2 nm to about 10 nm, and most preferably a monatomic layer, or an average thickness equal to the diameter of about one atom of the coating material, or an average depth of about one layer of atoms of the coating material.

The present application process may be preferred over certain processes that sequentially clean and deposit. When the substrate used is a metal substrate such as titanium or stainless steel, an oxide film forms in the time between where the cleaning occurs to where physical vapor deposition deposits the metal onto the substrate when there is exposure to oxygen. By simultaneously cleaning the substrate and depositing the conductive material, the oxide layer is completely and continuously removed thus preventing or at least significantly reducing oxide formation or other fouling of the surface. Simultaneously cleaning the substrate and depositing the conductive material can be accomplished due to the fact that the ion energies required to remove the oxide layer are low. Since the ion energies are low, the bombarding ion fluxes are generally smaller than the depositing atom fluxes that are emitted by the electron guns A and B. This is because oxides being removed are lighter than the metal being deposited onto the substrate as conductive coating 110, 112. As such, the low energy ion gun removes only the oxide layer and not the conductive coating 110, 112. The result is that the coating 110, 112 is deposited having excellent adhesion to the substrate. Further it is possible to coat only a very thin layer, on the order of about 2 to about 15 nm, which equates to greater than or equal to two atomic monolayers of metal atoms, thereby achieving good surface coverage and relatively uniform coverage. Thus, the use of ion-assisted PVD allows the noble metal to be deposited on the substrate very smoothly, evenly and in a thin layer.

It should be understood that one feature of the invention is the deposition of a coating 110, 112 on an essentially clean surface 90, 92. In a preferred aspect of the present process, the ion gun surface cleaning of the substrate is commenced just before the metal deposition is initiated. Then, the cleaning and metal deposition proceed simultaneously to completion of the deposition process. However, other methods of removing the oxide layer include a variety of suitable processes which may be conducted prior to coating, such as cathodic electrolytic cleaning, mechanical abrasion, cleaning the substrate with alkaline cleaners and etching with acidic solvents or pickle liquors.

As stated above, by depositing the coating 110, 112 onto a clean surface, the coating's adhesion is greatly improved and thus resists delamination from the substrate. For example, when a coating is subjected to cycles of an applied cathodic current ranging from 10 mA/cm²-50 mA/cm² in a solution of 0.5 M H₂SO₄, hydrogen gas (H₂) is evolved which causes prior art coatings to delaminate or peel from the substrate. However, when the coating is deposited by the ion-assisted PVD method of the present invention, the coating's excellent adhesion to the clean surface of the substrate resists the delamination from the substrate caused by the evolved H₂ when the cathodic current is applied.

A further PVD method includes magnetron sputtering, in which a metal target (the coating 130 compound) is bombarded with a sputter gun in an ionized gas atmosphere, e.g. argon, and the substrate is charged. The sputter gun forms a plasma of metal particles and ions that transfer by momentum to coat the substrate. However, the use of ion-assisted PVD as previously described may provide better control of plasma than in magnetron sputtering because in sputtering the direction of the plasma may be harder to regulate. Ion-assisted PVD provides better control of the deposition parameters because the ion beams have low energy and are well collimated, with divergence angles of only a few degrees. Due to the higher difficulty in regulation when compared to PVD or ALD methods, magnetron sputtering may not be suitable for smooth and even deposition of monoatomic coatings. However, various factors may promote the use of one application method over another, including overall processing time and cost.

Another preferred method of applying the coating 110, 112 according to the present invention includes electron beam evaporation, where the substrate is contained in a vacuum chamber (from between about 1×10⁻³ to 1×10⁻⁹ Torr) and a metal evaporant is heated by a charged electron beam, where it evaporates and then condenses on the target substrate. One particular way to deposit a monoatomic layer is to impose an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) on the chamber so as to prevent interactions with other atoms. Such interatomic interactions cause a non-uniform deposition of the monoatomic layer. As an illustrative example, an ultrahigh vacuum may include a pressure of less than about 1×10⁻⁸ Torr (less than about 1×10⁻⁶ Pa).

An additional preferred method of applying the coating 110, 112 according to the present invention is by atomic layer deposition (ALD), also known as atomic layer epitaxy (ALE). ALD is a self-limiting method for chemically depositing or growing ultra-thin films on a substrate. The method involves subjecting the substrate to self-saturating surface reactions. The surface reactions may be conducted sequentially and/or in an alternating fashion, depending on the composition and structure of the film desired. The ALD process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,430 of Suntola et al., incorporated herein by reference.

An ALD apparatus may be characterized by a vacuum deposition chamber having a holder for a substrate, at least one vapor source (known as the precursor) and controlled means by which the substrate may be individually subjected to a vapor source. The controlled means may include heaters, coolers and high speed valves for controlling the exposure of the substrate to the vapor source.

The ALD process for deposition of ultra-thin or monoatomic coatings 110, 112 involves reaction of the surface of a substrate in a deposition chamber with a single vapor of an electrically conductive material or reaction of the surface with multiple vapors introduced one at a time and consisting of the elementary components of the electrically conductive material. The vapor may be pulsed into the vacuum deposition chamber on a carrier gas and may be quickly purged, for example, by vacuum pumping or flushing with an inert or reactive gas.

Generally, the ALD process is performed at elevated temperatures and reduced pressures. It is important that the temperature of the deposition chamber be high enough that reaction between the substrate and the precursor vapor occurs, while also preventing condensation of the vapor onto the surface. As nonlimiting examples, the reaction space in the deposition chamber may be heated to temperatures from about 150° C. to about 600° C., and the operating pressure may be from about 7.5×10⁻² Torr to about 4 Torr (about 1 Pa to about 5000 Pa).

As a result of ALD surface reactions, not more than one atomic layer of the electrically conductive material is bound to the surface, thereby providing a monoatomic coating of electrically conductive material. With sequential or alternating reactions, composite layers may be formed. Furthermore, additional atomic monolayers may be grown, thereby providing a coating with a higher thickness. It should be understood that the electrically conductive material deposited by ALD may include metal coatings, as well as electrically conductive compounds, e.g. oxides, nitrides, fluorides, carbides, sulfides, as well as mixtures and laminates, e.g. two or more monoatomic layers, thereof.

As an illustrative example, a monoatomic layer coating comprising Au may be deposited by ALD. Such a monoatomic layer may be deposited onto a substrate by first pulsing a gold precursor vapor, selected from the family of organic and inorganic gold precursors or combinations thereof. As a nonlimiting example, the gold precursor may include dimethyl acetylacetonate Au. The precursor may be pulsed into a deposition chamber on an inert carrier gas such as, for example, argon or nitrogen. The chamber may subsequently be purged with a reactive gas, for example oxygen, resulting in a monoatomic layer coating of Au on the surface of a substrate.

The coatings 110, 112 may also be applied by electroplating (e.g. electrolytic deposition), electroless plating, or pulse laser deposition. However, these methods of coating may not be suitable for uniform deposition of monoatomic coatings due to the higher difficulty in regulation and control, especially in comparison to the aforementioned methods such as electron beam evaporation and atomic layer deposition.

In a first experiment, the ion-assisted, PVD method of the present invention was employed to prepare two samples. The ion gun that was used was set at 100 eV Ar⁺ beam with a current density of 1 mA/cm² for two minutes. The evaporation source material was 99.99% pure gold from Johnson-Matthey. The 316L stainless steel substrates used were 1″×1″ coupons that were first cleaned in an ultrasonic bath of acetone and then methanol for 15 minutes each. The stainless steel substrates were then loaded into the deposition chamber of the ion-assisted PVD apparatus and held there until the pressure was less than 2×10⁻⁷ Torr (3×10⁻⁵ Pa). The base pressure of the deposition chamber was typically in the mid 1×10⁻⁹ Torr (1×10⁻⁷ Pa) range and always lower than 1×10⁻⁸ Torr (1×10⁻⁶ kPa). As the ion gun cleaned the stainless steel substrate, a gold coating was deposited with the single electron beam evaporation source at a rate of 0.10 nm/s at a temperature of 35° C. to 40° C.

In a second experiment, the metal coating 110, 112 was deposited onto the surface of two 1″×1″ 316L stainless steel coupons by electron beam evaporation in ultrahigh vacuum. The evaporation source was 99.99% pure gold from Johnson-Matthey. The coupons were first cleaned in an ultrasonic bath with acetone and then cleaned with methanol for at least 15 minutes each. The stainless steel substrates were then loaded into the deposition chamber of the e-beam apparatus and held there until the pressure was less than 2×10⁻⁷ Torr (3×10⁻⁵ Pa). The base pressure of the deposition chamber was typically in the mid 1×10⁻⁹ Torr (1×10⁻⁷ Pa) range and always lower than 1×10⁻⁸ Torr (1×10⁻⁶ kPa). The surface of the coupons was sputter cleaned using 100 eV Ar⁺ with a beam current density of about 1 mA/cm² prior to deposition. A single electron beam evaporation was used to deposit the gold to a monoatomic thickness of approximately 0.3 nm to 0.5 nm, at a rate of approximately 0.04 nm/s. The temperature during deposition did not exceed a temperature between about 35° C. and 40° C. and the deposition was completed in a time of less than 10 seconds.

Adhesion testing was performed on samples from the first and second experiments. The samples were placed in a corrosion test solution that simulates fuel cell conditions (e.g. pH=3.0, 10 ppm HF) for almost 100 hours at approximately 80° C. It was surprisingly found that the adhesion for both samples, the 10 nm gold coating and the monoatomic gold coating, was excellent. By way of comparison, the adhesion for both samples was greater than the 10-13 kpsi adhesion range observed with epoxy, as measured on the Romulus adhesion tester using the stud-pull measurement technique. This indicates a strong interface and excellent bond line adhesion.

Contact resistance measurements were taken by contacting the coated surfaces of the samples from the first experiment. The samples were compressed together between two diffusion media papers (i.e. Toray graphite diffusion media commercially available as Toray 060) and a pressure from between 50 to 200 psi (350 to 1400 kPa) was applied while 1 A/cm² current density was applied. Contact resistance measurements were obtained from the voltage drop between the diffusion media sandwiching the two metal coupons across the coating. At an applied pressure of 50 psi (350 kPa) the first experiment assembly had a maximum contact resistance value of 18 mOhm-cm² and a minimum contact resistance value of 10 mOhm-cm² at an applied pressure of 200 psi (1400 kPa).

Samples from the first and second experiments were also tested for corrosion current values. Stainless steel substrates coated with 10 nm Au from the both the first experiment, as well as stainless steel substrates having a monoatomic Au coating from the second experiment, enabled low corrosion currents while cycling the potential between +0.4 and +0.6 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in aerated solution at 80 degrees Celsius, thereby simulating a bipolar plate environment in a fuel cell (pH=3.0, 10 ppm HF, and 0.5M Na₂SO₄ as the supporting electrolyte). Potentiostatic corrosion experiments were conducted over 100 hours at both an applied potential of +0.6 V (Ag/AgCl, in air) and at −0.4V(Ag/AgCl, in hydrogen) in an aerated simulated fuel cell solution operated at 80° C. The measured current conditions were below 1 microamp/cm² for all samples, indicating good stability of the coating.

In a third experiment, the metal coating 110, 112 is applied to the surface of two samples by an ALD system. The 316L stainless steel substrates are provided as 1″×1″ coupons that are first etch cleaned and then placed into an ALD deposition chamber. The reaction space in the deposition chamber is heated to a temperature greater than 150° C. at an operating pressure between about 7.5×10⁻² Torr and about 4 Torr. A gold precursor comprising dimethyl acetylacetonate Au is pulsed into the deposition chamber on an argon carrier gas at a flow rate of about 50 ml/min to about 200 ml/min, followed by a purge of oxygen gas to cause the ALD reaction. A single monoatomic layer coating on the coupons, having a thickness of approximately 0.3 nm to 0.5 nm, is thereby provided.

Samples from the third experiment were subjected to analysis by scanning tunneling microscope (STM). This analysis confirmed that nanoelectricity movement is acquired with a coating having a monoatomic thickness, and that conductivity is not limited by the ultra-thin coatings of the disclosure.

Stainless steel bipolar plates assembled according to the present invention and having an active area of 250 cm² were coated at different thicknesses to compare electrical performance of the gold metal coatings. The results of this testing are shown below in Table 1.

The first set of plates were coated by PVD at a thickness of about 10 nm, according to the present invention. The second set of plates were coated by PVD at a thickness of about 100 nm. The third set of plates were electroplated and had a thickness ranging from about 212-260 nm. A current of 200 amps was applied at a current density of 0.8 A/cm² for all samples of plates tested and all bipolar plate assemblies were tested under a compression pressure of 180 psi. Measurements were taken from 1) a top (i.e. anode side) diffusion paper (designated as “P_(t)”) to an anode plate, 2) a bottom (i.e. cathode side) diffusion paper (designated as “P_(b)”) to a cathode plate, and 3) a top diffusion paper to bottom diffusion paper through the anode and cathode plates. An interface resistance was calculated by subtracting the respective anode and cathode side measurements from the total paper to paper measurements from top to bottom.

As can be observed, the samples prepared in accordance with the present invention (set 1) demonstrate equally low resistance to any of the thicker coatings (sets 2 and 3) and have a negligible interface resistance in comparison to other parts of the fuel cell assembly.

TABLE I 1 2 3 Interface Cathode Gold P_(t)/Anode P_(b)/Cathode P_(t)/P_(b) Resistance Anode Plate Plate Thickness (mOhm- (mOhm- (mOhm- (mOhm- Number Number (nm) Coating Process cm²) cm²) cm²) cm²) Set 1 07-1336 10-1336 10 PVD 3.90 4.30 9.30 1.10 07-1332 10-1332 10 PVD 3.80 4.50 9.40 1.10 07-1337 10-1333 10 PVD 3.80 4.60 9.60 1.30 07-1338 10-1323 10 PVD 4.30 4.80 11.00 2.00 07-1335 10-1335 10 PVD 6.00 4.30 11.80 1.50 Set 2 07-1353 10-1322 100 PVD 4.00 4.50 9.40 0.90 07-1333 10-1320 100 PVD 3.50 4.30 9.10 1.40 07-1344 10-1328 100 PVD 4.40 4.60 10.80 1.80 07-1343 10-1326 100 PVD 3.10 4.50 9.10 1.50 07-1345 10-1329 100 PVD 3.90 4.50 10.00 1.60 Set 3 06-0503 06-0511 260 Electrodeposition 4.10 4.50 10.60 2.00 06-0504 08-0480 245 Electrodeposition 4.60 4.40 9.90 0.90 06-0502 08-0483 212 Electrodeposition 3.60 4.90 9.80 1.30 06-0505 08-0518 260 Electrodeposition 5.40 4.50 11.80 1.90 06-0479 08-0482 239 Electrodeposition 4.40 4.50 10.50 1.60

Accordingly, it should be understood by one of skill in the art that the ultra-thin coatings of the disclosure, e.g. monoatomic coatings deposited by electron beam evaporation or ALD, do not have a significant impact on the bulk resistance of the separator assembly.

With renewed reference to FIG. 2, preferred embodiments of the present invention also incorporate a perimeter seal 200 that prevents reactant gases from entering the coolant flow channels (FIGS. 3 and 4 number 93) or exiting the flow channels and flowing into the stack. The seal 200 is preferably formed between contacting inner surfaces 90, 92 of the coolant side of the bipolar plate 56. It is preferred that the seal 200 is fluid-tight and is formed by the contact between surfaces 90, 92 at the outer perimeter 79 of the electrically active region on inner surfaces 90, 92, and prevents, or at least impedes, fluid and gas transport therethrough. The seal 200 circumscribes the coolant flow field to form a barrier to the reactant gases used in the fuel cell stack, and preferably prevents coolant from flowing back into the reactant gases.

The seal 200 is preferably formed as a bead of either an electrically conductive or an electrically non-conductive adhesive. As best seen in FIG. 7, the seal 200 may further serve to fill any gaps between the sheets 58, 60 resulting from manufacturing irregularities. A bead of adhesive can be applied to either one surface of a plate (i.e. either to 90 or 92) of the bipolar separator assembly plates or to both of the surfaces 90, 92 of both plates 58, 60. A gasket can also be used as the seal 200 in place of the sealant. As shown peripheral gaskets 202 are also used to seal the outer perimeters 77, 79 of the bipolar plate assembly 56.

Preferred sealants for the present invention include thermoset and thermoplastic adhesives or pressure sensitive adhesive tapes. In the case of adhesives, the thermoset or thermoplastic polymer adhesives may be molded into preforms that are placed between the first and second sheets 58,60. The sheets 58, 60 are then contacted to one another and heat is applied to create a structural bond. The amount and duration of heating is dependent on the characteristics of the adhesives selected, as recognized by one of skill in the art. Non-limiting examples of such thermoset adhesives include epoxides, phenolics, polymethylmethacrylates, polyurethanes, silicones, polysulfides, butyl, fluoroelastomer and fluorosilicones. Further examples of suitable thermoplastic adhesives include, for example, polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, polyvinyl acetates, and polyurethanes. In alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention, the seal 200 may be formed by joining plates 58, 60 by metallurgical methods, such as remote scanning laser welding or by mechanical crimping. It should also be noted in FIG. 7 that the electrically active regions of surfaces 90 and 92 are overlaid with ultra-thin coatings 110,112 on the first and second sheets 58, 60 respectively, which establish electrical and physical contact therebetween at contact regions 100.

In one alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention, only the electrically conductive regions of the surfaces 90, 92 are coated and the electrically non-conductive regions are uncoated. In certain preferred embodiments, the entire electrically active region corresponding to the MEA where the flow field is formed is coated with a coating, and the peripheral regions 79 (referring to FIG. 2) remain uncoated. In other preferred alternate embodiments, the coating 110, 112 may only cover the lands 76, 80 and not the grooves 82, 86 of sheets 58, 60, respectively. In this circumstance, only adjacent electrically conductive surfaces in electrical contact with one another at the contact regions 100 are coated with the coating 110, 112. In such an embodiment, the electrically non-conductive regions of surfaces 90, 92 are covered or masked while the coating is applied. A mask is any material that is applied to a substrate and remains stable during coating application and may include, by way of example, stainless steel, titanium or ceramic masks. Other suitable mask materials include: organic coatings, rubber masks or tape, for use in lower temperature application processes, such as electrolytic or electroless deposition. Often, mask materials are selected to permit recovery and recycling of the metals deposited over the mask during the deposition process, and are well known in the art.

One preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a separator assembly for a fuel cell by providing the first and second electrically conductive metal substrate sheets, where the first and second sheets are made of a metal susceptible to formation of metal oxides in the presence of oxygen. The metal oxides are removed from the surfaces of the first and second substrates, respectively. An ultra-thin electrically conductive coating is deposited on select regions of the first and second metal surfaces. Select regions of the first and second surfaces are positioned to confront one another and then contacted to form an electrically conductive path between the first and second substrates.

The description of the above embodiments and method is merely exemplary in nature and thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. An electrically conductive separator element for use in a stack of electrochemical cells, comprising a conductive metal substrate and an ultra-thin coating on said substrate, wherein said coating comprises an electrically conductive material and has an average thickness equal to about the diameter of one atom of the electrically conductive material.
 2. A separator element according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the coating is from about 0.3 nm to about 0.5 nm.
 3. A separator element according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Ir, Ru, Rh, Os, Pd, Pt, RuO₂, IrO₂ and combinations thereof.
 4. A separator element according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises Au.
 5. A separator element according to claim 1, wherein the metal substrate comprises a member selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, aluminum, titanium and foamed conductive metals.
 6. A separator element according to claim 1, wherein said coating has a contact resistance at 50 psi to 200 psi suitable for use in a fuel cell.
 7. A separator element according to claim 4, wherein the coating comprises Au and wherein the contact resistance is from about 7 to about 8 milliohms/cm² at pressures from 50 psi to 200 psi.
 8. A fuel cell comprising the separator element of claim
 1. 9. An electrically conductive separator assembly for use in a stack of electrochemical cells, comprising: a first electrically conductive separator element having a first surface and a second electrically conductive separator element having a second surface; an ultra-thin coating overlying one or more areas of said respective first and said second surfaces, wherein said coating comprises an electrically conductive material and has an average thickness equal to about the diameter of one atom of the electrically conductive material; and electrically conductive paths formed by physical contact between said coated regions of said first surface and said second surface.
 10. The separator assembly according to claim 9, further comprising lands interspersed with grooves along said respective surfaces, the lands having the overlying ultra-thin coating, wherein the lands of the first surface are in physical contact with the lands of the second surface, thereby forming electrically conductive paths.
 11. A method for manufacturing an electrically conductive separator element for a fuel cell, comprising: providing an electrically conductive metal substrate, said metal substrate susceptible to formation of metal oxides in the presence of oxygen; removing any of said metal oxides from a surface of said substrate; and depositing an ultra-thin coating onto the surface of said substrate, wherein said coating comprises an electrically conductive material and has an average thickness equal to about the diameter of one atom of the electrically conductive material.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said removing and said depositing are conducted essentially simultaneously.
 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said depositing is conducted by a process selected from the group consisting of electron beam evaporation, physical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition.
 14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said removing is conducted by a process selected from the group consisting of electrolytic cleaning, etching, pickling, mechanical abrasion, and ion beam sputtering.
 15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said electrically conductive material comprises Au.
 16. The method according to claim 13, wherein said depositing is conducted by electron beam evaporation.
 17. The method according to claim 13, wherein said depositing is conducted by atomic layer deposition.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said atomic layer deposition comprises: subjecting said substrate to at least one precursor vapor of the electrically conductive material at a temperature sufficiently high for the vapor to react with the surface of said substrate but too high for the vapors to condense on the surface.
 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the atomic layer deposition is conducted at a temperature between about 150° C. and about 600° C.
 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the atomic layer deposition is conducted at a pressure between about 7.5×10⁻² Torr and about 4 Torr. 